Ground-joint coupling.



A. J. RUDOLPH.

GROUND JOINT COUPLING,

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 1B. 1911.

1 1 1 2,479, Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

ll/llll/ INVENTQR WI NEssEs A TORNEY UNITED STATS PATEN ALFRED J. RUDOLPH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GROUND-JOINT COUPLING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. RUDOLPH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ground-Joint Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in couplings for pipes and similar devices, such, for instance, as the couplings between water closet hoppers and soil pipes through which the refuse passes from such hopper.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a coupling having means by which the parts constituting the coupling may be detachably interlocked and also with means whereby when interlocked the said coupling is water and air tight.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be set forth in the detailed description of my invention which follows or will be apparent from such description.

Although my invention is capable of embodiment in couplings employed in connection with various structures, yet I have designed it particularly for use in the connecting or coupling of the lower ends of water closet hoppers with the upper ends of soil pipes of sewerage systems.

In order that my invention may be more clearly understood and its purpose and functions fully comprehended, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which,

Figure 1 is a transverse section of the coupling, the lower or bottom part of a water closet hopper, and a portion of a support upon opposite sides of the coupling; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the lower member of the coupling; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of one side portion of the lower or bottom part of the hopper, a coupling and the support for the same taken so as to show the means for securing the coupling to the support.

In the drawings: 1 designates a water closet hopper having a flange 2 extending outwardly from its bottom edge and then downwardly as indicated at 3 to form a square cornered recess at a which fits over the flanges of the coupling.

5 designates the top member of the coupling with a portion thereof above the flange 6 projecting into the lower part of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 18, 1911.

Patented. Oct. 6, 1914. Serial No. 655,345.

the water closet hopper. The said hopper 1S provided with a recessed portion as indicated at 7 in which the upper portion of the said member 5 of the coupling is seated. Preferably the member 5 is permanently secured by cement or otherwise to the hopper.

The member 5 of the coupling projects downwardly beyond the flange 6, as indicated at 8, and its lower end is rounded, as indicated at 12, so that its surface is convex. Such lower end fits exactly in a groove 15 which forms a seat therefor which is provided in the lower member 16 of the coupling.

The lower end of the member 16 of the coupling is adapted to be secured to the soil pipe and any means for so securing it may be employed which is deemed most desirable and suitable. The upper end portion of the member 16 of the coupling is enlarged as indicated at 17 and the lower portion 8 of the coupling 5 projects inside of the enlarged portion 17 of the member 16 so that the two members of the coupling are in alinement. The purpose of arranging the members of the coupling so that they are in alinement, as indicated, is that the interior surface thereof shall be smooth so as to avoid the possibility of the collection of matter of any kind or character upon the sides of the coupling.

The upper enlarged end 17 of the member 16 of the coupling is provided with a flange 18 which rests upon the support (which in this instance is a floor) for the coupling and the water closet hopper.

As illustrated, the flange 18 has screwthreaded connection with the upper end of the coupling 16 but it will be understood that if desired the same may be formed integral with the said member. The upper edge of the enlarged portion 17 of the member 16 is converted as shown at 20 and fits exactly the groove 21 formed in the lower side of the flange 6 adjacent to the body portion of the member 5 of the coupling. In other words, by the employment of my invention I provide aconstruction of coupling having two ground-joints. The downwardly extending part 8 of the member 5 and the enlarged upwardly extending part 17 of the member 16 fit closely and exactly the grooves provided therefor so that when the two members are joined and drawn tightly together the coupling is both air and water tight. For the purpose of securing the coupling to the floor I provide holes in the flange 18 through which screws 26 pass into the floor or other support.

For the purpose of detachably interlocking the members 5 and 16 of the coupling device, I provide bayonet slots at intervals upon the inside of the enlarged portion 1'7 of the member 16. The horizontal portions of these slots are sligliitly inclined away from the upper edge of said member, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Lugs 31 provided upon. the outer side of the portion 8 of the member 5 of the coupling are adapted to enter the said slots 30. These lugs may be integral with or otherwise secured upon the member 5.

In connecting the two members of the coupling together, the lugs 31 are inserted in the upper ends of the slots 30 and then by causing relative rotatory movementbetween the members of the coupling they are drawn tightly together so that the lower end of the downwardly projecting portion 8 fits in the groove 15 while the upper edge of the enlarged portion 17 of the member 16 fits closely the groove 21 provided for it in the flange 6 upon the member 5. ilhis, of course, is due to the fact that the horizontal portions of the slot 30 are inclined away from the top edge of the member 16, as is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

While I have illustrated the slots as being provided in the member 16 and the lugs as being provided upon the member 5 of the coupling, it will be understood that the positions of the slots and the lugs may be I reversed, that is, the slots may be placed in the member 5 and the lugs upon the lower member 16.

When the water closet hopper is placed in position for use, it is secured against accidental displacement by means of the screw bolts 35 which pass through holes 36 in the flange 2 and holes 37 in the flange 6 and which engage screw-threaded openings in the flange 18 which in turn, as has already been stated, is secured to the floor by means of screws 26.

In practical use the member 5 of the coupling is, or preferably should be, permanently secured to the water closet hopper and the members of the coupling assembled, the said members being drawn tightly together so that the oints thereof are both air and water tight. A mark or indication of some kind is then placed upon the member 16 of the coupling to indicate the front part thereof, that is to say, the part thereof which is in alinement with the front part of the hopper, so that when the workman con nects the member 16 to the upper end of a soil pipe, before the hopper is in position, he will know exactly the position in whie the same should be placed in order that when the hopper is placed in position its front part will be in proper place. It will be understood, of course, that the holes in the flange 18 in which the bolts 35 are se cured should be placed so that when the members of the coupling are interlocked and drawn tightly together they will be in aline ment with the holes 36 and 37 in the flange 2 of the hopper and in the flange 6 of the member 5 of the coupling.

The members of the coupling may be made of any suitable material but it is probable that in most cases brass will be employed.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described some of the ways of making and using the same, al though without atten'ipting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all the modes of its use, what I claim. is

1. Means for connecting a water closet bowl to a discharge pipe which means consists of a member seated in the lower end of said bowl the said member being provided with an annular recess therein and a second member also provided with. an annular recess in which the edge of the lower end of the first-named member is seated and the upper edge of the second-named member being seated in the annular recess of the first-named member, one of the said members being provided with slots opening at the edge of the end thereof and portions of said slots being inclined at an acute angle to the plane of said edge and the other of said members being provided with lugs which are adapted to enter the said slots whereby when the said members are turned with respect to each other the edges thereof are respectively drawn firmly and closely into the said annular recesses.

2. In combination, a water closet bowl having a recess formed in its lower end and also having a laterally extending flange at its lower end also provided with a recess, a member having its upper end seated in the first-mentioned recess and having a flange seated in the second-named recess, the said member having an annular recess formed evteriorly thereof in the portion of said flange adjacent to said member, and the said. member being provided with lugs exteriorly thereof, a second member having an enlarged upper end into which the lower end of the first-named member projects, and the said second-named member having an annular recess formed interiorly thereof at the lower edge of said enlarged portion, said. second named member also having open ended grooves therein, portions of which are inclined at an acute angle to the plane of the upper edge of said second-named member, the lugs of the first-named member being adapted to enter the said grooves whereby when the said members are rotated with r' spect to each other, the annular edge of each of said members is drawn into the annular recess of the other member whereby a closed joint is formed.

3. In combination, a water closet bowl having an annular recess formed interiorly of its lower end and also having a laterally extending flange at its lower end said flange being provided with an annular recess extending at right angles to the first-named recess, one member of a coupling seated in the first-named annular recess, the said memher having a flange seated in the secondnamed recess and the said member having an annular recess formed in the said flange adjacent to the said member, a second member having an enlarged upper end into which the lower end of the first-named member projects, the said second-named member being provided with an annular recess interiorly thereof and one of the said members being provided with lugs and the other one with angular open ended grooves, portions of which grooves extend at an acute angle to the plane of the edge of the end of the member in which they are provided, the said grooves being adapted to receive the said lugs whereby when the said members are rotated with respect to each other they are drawn toward each other so that the edge of each of the said members engages the recess in the other member, and the said secondnamed member being provided with a flange which is in contact with the flange upon the first-named member outside of the annular recess therein, and means for detachably engaging the second-mentioned flange for securing the said members to the flange upon the said bowl.

4. A coupling adapted for use in connection with water closet apparatus comprising an annular member having a laterally extending flange intermediate its ends, the said flange being provided with an annular recess adjacent to the body of said member and a second member having an enlarged end to receive one end of the first-named member, the said second-named member having an interiorly situated annular recess at the lower edge of said enlarged portion, one of the said members being provided with lugs and the other one of said members being provided with angular grooves opening upon the edge of said member, portions of said grooves being inclined at an acute angle to the plane of the edge of said member, the said grooves being adapted to receive the said lugs whereby when the said members are relatively rotated the edge of each member is drawn firmly into the annular recess upon the other member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 11th day of October, A. D. 1911.

ALFRED J. RUDOLPH.

In the presence of Gno. H. WEIDNER, CYRUs N. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

Washington, D. G. 

